Chapter Four
Mum sang along to the music playing loudly in the kitchen as she started to make the tea. She was making Lena’s favourite; sausage pasta in tomato sauce. She glanced towards the silent living room as she chopped onions, still singing, and wondered what Lena was up to.
“She must have gone upstairs on YouTube or something” she said aloud to herself absent-mindedly, and carried on with her chopping. Soon the tea was ready, the glorious smell of rich, thick tomatoey sauce and meaty sausages wafted through the house. Mum walked through the living room to the bottom of the stairs.
“Lena!” she shouted up and then waited a few moments. No reply.
“Lena!” she tried again a little louder this time, still nothing.
“LENA!” she yelled at the top of her voice and then sighed angrily as she made her way up the stairs. “Lena I’ve been shouting you for…” she said as she opened Lena’s door, “Oh…” the room was filled with a still silence, nothing moved, not so much as a twitch, nobody was in here. Crystal the cat strolled over from outside the bathroom and meowed as she entwined herself around mum’s legs. “Where on Earth is Lena?” mum asked her, bending down to scratch the silky soft fur between her ears.
“Meow” Crystal replied.
“And Mia too” mum continued.
“Meow” said Crystal again, and leapt up onto Lena’s bed, settled herself down and began licking her paws. Mum stomped back down the stairs, leaving Lena’s bedroom door open behind her.
“If she’s gone out without telling me again, and with the dog too!” She muttered to herself as she walked back into the kitchen. She covered Lena’s tea up and placed it in the microwave, picked up her own tea and sat down with it on the couch. She loaded up Netflix, selected a program, settled down and began eating.